At Least Nine Killed in Syria School Shelling

At least nine people, and by some accounts more, were killed today when artillery fire hit a school on the outskirts of the Syrian capital city of Damascus. Both regime and rebels are confirming the strike, and Syrian state media is blaming an unnamed rebel faction for the strike.

The dead included one teacher and the rest were students. Early reports had put the death toll as high as 30, but were later revised downward. Most are now reporting either nine or 10 slain overall.

The state media reports said it appeared the school was hit with either a howitzer or some other artillery shell. The school is located in the Wafideen Refugee Camp, a camp for those displaced by the Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip, and does not appear to have had any conceivable reason for anyone to target it.

Tellingly, while rebel groups confirmed the attack they made no indication who they thought might be responsible. Generally speaking, if the regime is even suspected of such an attack such groups will loudly blame them.